Starfox: Second War
by Pootisman
Summary: I thought this was a chapter summary, Ima derp. Anyways, this is how I would make a reboot of the series of Starfox. Its more like a screenplay to me, but I TRY to make it interesting to read. Anyways, thank you for taking the time to read my ideas and hope you find this to be a thrill. Feel free to make recomentdations and give me feedback on how my writing is. :D
1. Chapter 1

This is just an idea I had for a "Rewrite" for the series, this being the beginning. I wish I could make a cartoon show, but the chances are slim. Anyways, this is my idea for what the first chapter/episode which would be involving James McCloud (Fox's father) and his demise: " No Matter The Cost." Please enjoy and I appreciate all who take their time to read this. Thank you.

No Matter The Cost

Surrounding the upper atmosphere of Venom, the battle between the two armadas raged. Thousands of ships fired constantly, one explosion after another. General Pepper could see it, even far out in space, away from the battle. His cluster of ships were the best the Cornerian Fleet had to offer, and he was about to enter the greatest battle in the history of the galaxy.

"Sir, battle systems are 100%. Shields are at 100%. All fighters ready for launch. All ships, state your status." The Second in Command, Zeed, commanded. All the ships Captains responded with. "Affirmative. Awaiting the command to engage." Pepper nodded his head.

"All ships, engage." And all the ships moved toward the fray like giant fists of steel. Pepper pressed the transmission on his collar. "Men, this is a battle which we cannot lose. Whatever Andross is defending, it could mean the end of the war…the end of us and the way we live…all that we LIVE for." The ships were nearing the battle, close to firing distance.

"This is where the fate of Lylat is decided…here, on this very day, and I assure you, we will beat these power thirsty mongrels!" Zeed ordered the lock on to the nearest enemy ship.

"We will stop Andross…no matter the odds, no matter the weapon…and no matter the cost! Now show them what your made of!" All cheered on the COMs, and as they did, Pepper's ship fired the first shot. His fleet smashed through a wave of Venom cruisers, juggernauting their way into the middle of the battle. The fighters sprayed out of the hanger like thousands of angry wasps, keeping all the enemy bombers at bay.

"All new ships, this is Beeger, captain of the "Silver Lance". We are hitting heavy resistance just above the atmosphere. We need support fast!" General Pepper gave Zeed a glance, giving the order without words. Zeed gave the command. "All ships, back up the Silver Lance with everything you got!"

The pulled forth, slamming their way through the enemies' petty excuses for Cruisers…at least in comparison to Peppers ship "Looming Shadow" which she did so to all who she be above. As they dug deeper into the crowd of ships, they saw a huge silver ship below. "There she is, General!"

Just as he reported her position, a beam of light arose from the planet, slamming into the Silver Lance's shields with such tremendous force, its slightly moved the ship. The beam remained consistent, depleting the ships shields rapidly .

"Silver Lance, this is the Looming Shadow. We will cut off the fire for your retreat. When we do, divert all weapon systems energy to your engines and fall back!" Pepper was not too concerned about his move. The Looming Shadow had the second best shielding in the galaxy. If only THAT ship were here…if only THEY were here.

The Looming Shadow zoomed in front of the beam, and the Silver Lance immediately began to pull out. "How long can we take it?" Pepper barked

"Can't say more than a minute, sir!" Zeed replied with surprise. Pepper promised himself that he wouldn't lose a single ship without losing his own first…and it was about to come to that. It was too soon. He took of his hat and looked across the deck. "I am sorry men. We have…" the ceasing of the beam interrupted.

"Why did they…" Zeed asked incompletely.

"Whatever the weapon is, it requires a lot of power to fire it. They must be waiting for it to recharge!" and if the ship were to take another blast, they would be turned into space dust.

"All ships, center all fire on the blockade ahead! If we don't stop that weapon soon, the war is lost!" His entire fleet opened fire on the blockade hexagon stations, barely depleting the shields…not fast enough. One of the Captains barked over the COMs "If this keeps up, we'll all be…"

A voice full of zeal and integrity interrupted the captain. "Got room for one more ship?" Pepper straightened and gazed at the holo-map of the battle sector, and saw a small ship closing in at such speed, there was no doubt it was the ship with the greatest shielding in the galaxy…and aboard her, THEM.

"James!" Pepper scoffed "Late, just as you were in the old days!"

"You know me well, buddy." James McClouded grinned, adjusting his aviator glasses. "Now tell your boys to make a hole and to fire with everything they got. We'll blast our way through. " Peppy, James' second pilot and best friend, spoke in as well. "Once we do, concentrate on the blockade. We will take care of whatever is down there!"

Peppy instantly put on his hat and barked the orders. The tide had turned, and they had a greater chance to pull through this alive.

The Great Fox dodged her way through the great battle and the three Arwings shot out in front of her. "Ready, guys?"

Peppy nodded "Ready as I'll ever be."

Pigma snorted with a laugh "Time to have some fun!"

"Have hailstorm missiles equipped. Rob, on my command…" Rob, the best robot they could get a hold of, was flying the Great Fox, ready to fire her main cannons…two deadly reasons not to take Starfox for pushovers .

"Fire!" James shouted.

The cannons fired 5 shots of doom upon the blockade, as the Arwings released a barrage of scattering missiles. The last shot from the Great Fox devastated the dreadnought's shields, making the Cornerian Fleet's job significantly easier. Within 5 seconds, a gap was made in the enemy's massive defenses. The Great Fox pulled off to join in the battle with the rest of the fleet as James and his team made their way into the high atmosphere of Venom. Pepper saluted "Good luck, Starfox."

No fighters slowed them down, and it made sense considering the battle above. Every couple of second, debris came crashing down, keeping the team on full concentration. They weren't far now. Soon this would all be over, and James was intent on seeing to it that Andross would be extinguished from existence.

(meanwhile, on the weapon sight on Venom) Andross growled "Hurry up and get it to fire again! The power will not cause an atomic reaction unless interrupted by another type of energy!" The ancient technology with power of this magnitude was not impossible to use as the Cornerian scientists thought. Only one Cornerian ship posed as a small threat, and it managed to put itself in the perfect spot for the weapon to hit it.

One of his pawns shook his head radically "Yes, sir…I mean, my lord!" and dashed his fingers across the operation pad.

"Lord Andross, they tore a hole through our defense!" Another shouted from the top of the temple around the weapon. Andross yelled with fury "Defensive Cannons…NOW!" He could sense the three pilots coming in. Two had minds of a typical hero, who are fools in reality…but one had a cloud of darkness within him…a hunger for money and weaponry. It was time to give his new ability a test.

They weren't far now. Within two minutes , the squad of Arwings would blast the base. James gave and order to put 25% shield energy to the hailstorm missiles. As Pigma started to, he heard a voice in his head…a dark, but luring voice. "Pigma, you chose to join him because of the pay and the weaponry. I can assure you it will not last for long." Pigma shook his head. Gold popped in his head…tons of it, as well as weapon installments of the greatest design. "All of it can be yours…and you can sense in my words that I tell the truth. Shoot them…shoot them down, and I will guarantee you will be able to leave the planet unscathed and your fortune full of fame. Choose now…or lose everything." The voice faded, and Pigma was sweating. He could see the gold…he could FEEL the gold. All he had to do was earn it.

"One minute and thirty second until target…we'll be back in time for dinner, boys!"

Pigma chuckled "…at least I will, anyway." James thought it was a joke and began to scoff until Pigma opened fire, and the hailstorm missiles deprived their shields relentlessly. Just as James was about to maneuver, a missile clipped his wing, making control nearly impossible. Pigma then locked onto Peppy quickly, and managed to damage Peppys left engine just before running out of missiles. He quickly pulled up into the sky without a word.

"He betrayed us! We'll get him…" James interrupted Peppy. "Get out of here, Peppy. You have enough control and power to make it back."

Peppy's eye widened. "No, best friends don't leave each other behind. You said this yourself."

"Then I lied! Pull away, Peppy. I'll take out the weapon…I'll end this alone."

"James, Im not going anywhere. I…"

"Peppy!" James shouted. There was a slight pause.

"…I need you to take care of my son. I want you to tell him that I did this for him and his mother…tell him to fly free…and that I will always be flying next to him." Peppy looked out of his cockpit into McClouds, and they looked at one another one last time.

"Will you do that, buddy?" James smiled. Peppy nodded "I will James…I promise." Then Peppy pulled up hearing the last words of his friend."Thank you, friend…now fly on."

James put all the power left to the engines. Keeping control of the Arwing at this speed seemed impossible, even to him, but he had to…he "will".

Andross sensed it. They had failed, and only one option remained. He uploaded the data of the research they had been conducting onto a chip and ran into the temple. He was not as angry as much as he thought he would be, because he knew he would live to reek havoc another day.

James pulled out a picture of his son from his vest pocket. Fox was 5, sitting down playing with a ball half his size. James smiled before a sudden turbulent forced his full attention, dropping the picture. He stabilized, and slowly adjusted his aviator glasses. "Piece of cake, right?"

Going at such a great speed, the defense turrets had no chance to stop him in time. He saw the huge tower of a weapon grow as he aimed his arwing at the power core, bottom of the tower. For a second in his life, he felt truly invincible, and closed his eyes to see his wife waiting for him on the other side.

General Pepper saw an explosion on the surface…a bright green wave spread across the planet. As it did, all the venom ships began to retreat. Many Cornerian voices shouted over the COMs with cheer and joy. Some started chanting "Starfox! Starfox! Starfox!". Pepper couldn't wait to congratulate everyone…most of all, James. He waited to see all three Arwings rise from the planet, but only one appeared. Pepper didn't need to think to know…James was no more. He slowly took of his hat and bowed his head. "Brave warriors of the Cornerian Fleets. We have won the war…" Pepper paused with his disbelief of James being lost. "…and we have lost many in doing so…warriors who had families and friends. We will live on and descend justice upon the remnants of the Venom Fleets. To those living and those who have passed to the other side, we SALUTE!" and all of them did.

Peppy thought out loud, hoping James could hear him. "You did it, buddy. You saved the galaxy." But in the back of his mind popped an uncomfortable two words …'for now'. He ignored it, and thought of his promise…what he would tell James' only son…Fox McCloud.


	2. Chapter 2

Once again, this is my version of a reboot for the Starfox series. This is mostly meant for screen play, but I try to make it interesting to read. Most characters will appear and most events will happen from Starfox "Cannon", only differently (sorry, but Starfox Adventures is not on the list, but Krystal will appear and be a vital part of the story). Also, Im making it to where most of the planets are in different systems, and half of the galaxy has been explored, but the Lylat system is the center of the Cornerian order. How the ships travel through space, I never got an official answer, so Im going with slipspace. I thank you very much for your time to read my fan fiction, and please feel free to recommend ideas and information :D

Starfox Chapter 2: Like Father, Like Son

The squad of 5 pirate fighters slowly made their way into the asteroid cluster. All the fighters were Phantom 2's, one of the most robust models Macbeth's Aero-Designers had created, putting them to the test again Fichina's harsh icy climate. Fichina had become an ideal place to buy sturdy merchandise from, considering the deadly climate…perfect for testing the equipment.

Raskal, a middle aged Hyena and highly ranked Renegade, was very eager to put his new toy to the test. It was a single engine with 3 main pulse guns on the top and 1 Colossal Cannon just under the cockpit. It looked like a wasp meant for war…but this would be easy pickings. In the middle of the asteroid cluster was a jamming device, almost always used by ships traveling the galaxy to transport "Precious Cargo". He made a gesture to his fellow Renegades, telling them to keep the communication off until he gives the word.

They were nearing the center of the jamming radius when the scans picked up movement. They knew he was coming. No matter.

"Where do you think you're going? Why don't you just power down and abandon the ship, it would save us both the trouble!" Raskal cackled, not sure if they could even receive the transmission. They were close to the center of the jamming radius, which was on the other side of a massive asteroid.

"Full speed, disable her engines!" The fighters swept down from above the signal, and as they became within sight of the ship, Raskal's entire being…his ego, his pride and confidence had all at once dropped at the very sight of it. A medium sized ship with 2 enormous cannons, painted white and the words "Great Fox" on its side. As they had just realized this, laser rounds slammed into their shields.

"You guys are supposed to be Renegades? I never expected you guys to fall for this so easily." Fox McCloud chuckled, swooping in from behind and disabled one of the accomplices' fighters as the others scattered to escape.

"Falco?"

"Don't worry, got 'em in my sights." Falco confirmed.

"I got the other one, Fox." Slippy reported.

"Peppy, go after the last of his goons, I'll take Raskal myself." Fox ordered.

"Understood, but you be careful. When in doubt…"

"…do a barrel roll. Yes, I remember." Fox rolled his eyes, and then pulled up to chase Raskal…whose ship was far too slow to outrun the greatest fighter in the galaxy. Raskal was trying to swerve around tight turns, with no avail of losing the Arwing on his six. Fox was within firing range, but the trick here would be to shoot him down WITHOUT Raskal crashing. Raskal deserved to be brought to justice, not to be burned into space dust.

Fox figured he would try to reason with the foolish Hyena. "I think we both know that your Renegade days are over, so why not just give up the running?"

"I'd rather die!" Raskal spat.

"Sorry, not an option" shrugged Fox as he proceeded to fire on the Renegade's shields. Raskal made failed attempts to evade, but to no avail. Fox made short work of the shields and fired a small missile, so fast that there was no way Raskal could evade it. It transformed into a tiny spider-like robot, attached itself to the fighter and began to cut its way into the ships mainframe. Within 5 seconds, the fighter slowed down to moderate speed. ROB, the robot they had left to control the Great Fox, was now in complete control of the Phantom 2. Raskal was not going anywhere…except to the brig of the Great Fox.

"Mission complete, all ships check in." Fox ordered. As he was sure, all of them had captured the other goons as well. The leader and his accomplices would be standing in court within 12 hours.

Before long, all were aboard, fighters and pilots. The Phantoms would be sold for scrap if the Cornerian Law granted it, and they would receive enough credits to improve the hanger's docking equipment once they turned in the Renegades. The Starfox team assembled on the deck to make way to Corneria.

"Well, that was just too easy. I don't even wanna say we EARNED these credits. These chumps practically GAVE themselves to us." Falco Lombardi boasted. "I've gone up against gangs, but these guys are just an embarrassment. Even Slippy made it look easy."

"Whats that supposed to mean, huh?" Slippy croaked.

"Thanks to your new Virus Spi-Droids, Slippy, we were able to capture them without destroying the fighters." Fox patted Slippy on the shoulder before he sat in the captain's chair. "Alright, team, lets go and cash in the prize." ROB immediately began setting the coordinates. "Destination, Corneria, ten minutes until arrival." And the Great Fox shot forward.

Not 2 minutes into the Slipspace, an incoming transmission came in, Cornerian assets only. Fox leaned forward in his chair.

"ROB, bring it up." The screen projected a giant hologram of General Pepper. "All Cornerian Allies are being requested to meet at the Cornerian Space Station 13 for an important announcement. Further information will be covered during debrief at 15:00 Lylat hours."

"End of transmission." ROB finished.

"Well, whatever it is, we better attend, don't you think?" Peppy inquired.

Falco nodded side to side "We still gotta turn in these goons and sell the fighters. Looks like a mess, all those fighters lying around."

Fox grinned "Sounds like an excuse."

Shrugging, Falco replied "Hey, those meetings take up to 2 hours. Besides, there might be someone I ripped off in there, and we both know how that ought 'a turn out."

"Fine" Fox sighed. "You guys take care of cashing in, and I'll attend the debriefing." Besides, with the others taking care of it, it would take less time to wrap things up with this contract. Whatever this transmission was about, Fox had no idea, but for Starfox to be given an invitation meant they would be considered a tag in…and although Fox did like doing something right, he also liked the payment. It was the perfect win-win outcome.

14:30 hours, Corneria, Station 13

Fox walked into the main all of Station 13, Corneria visible beneath the dense glass floor, which made Fox a little uneasy. The thought of the glass breaking was unsettling, so he hurried the best he could to the main debriefing chamber, which was the size of a concert hall. He squeezed his way through many Cornerian military staff, most normal pilots.

As he neared the Chamber entrance, his 6th sense tingled. Someone was watching him, and it usually did not have an outcome of paranoia. Even though he did not have his blaster, he still had extensive skills at hand to hand. With so much military, who would be following him here? As a hand clapped on his should, however, he knew without attempting to counter attack…an old friend he knew in flight training.

"If I didn't know you better, I'd say you were a ghost standing in front of me." Fox quickly turned around, and looked the light brown dog in the eye, wearing his Cornerian pilot suit unlike the rest, who wore formal suits to the debriefing.

"Bill, you keep sneaking up on me like that, and one day you'll be wearing a cast." Fox laughed and shook his hand firmly.

"Just making sure you're on alert, even in a place like this."

They both walked on together into the debriefing chamber. "So, how have ya been, Bill?"

"Been making a name for myself. Im the new lead for the husky squadron, and we were the ones who took on the small fleet of Venom remnants back 6 months ago."

"I was under the impression that it was pirates with Venom ships." Fox lifted his left brow.

"They never confirmed it, but I know. I can tell from the flight style…my father told me how they…" Bill cut himself off, seeing Fox stiffen slightly.

"…sorry, Fox. Bad subject."

"Its okay, Bill. I've gotten over it." Fox lied, but he HAD come to terms with it. He did his best to live up to his father, who was known to be the most legendary pilot ever. With the skills of his father, and the heart of his mother, he was an honest being, determined to use his skills for good…for others as well.

"Any idea what this is about?"

"Not a clue. All I heard was and Explorer Class civilian cruiser came back with reports on something big." As Bill finished, Pepper walked out to the middle of the stage. As he did, everyone started to stand.

"Attention, this debriefing is now in session…at ease." And all in the room sat down. Pepper straightened and looked amongst the hundreds of faces before him of squad leaders, captains and "Other Assets" to the Cornerian order.

"As many of you have heard, there has been word of an Explorer Class civilian ship that has just come back from her deployment. They have stumbled upon a system unmapped and caught a glimpse of this." Pepper clicked a remote and a large holographic image of a Venom fleet. Many grew uneasy. There had not been report of a fleet this size since the aftermath of the Great Battle of Venom.

"These are new, and improved, Venom ships, and this formation is just that of a patrol formation. Where ever their base of operations is, or how many ships they have, is unknown, but before the ship jumped into slipspace, it caught a transmission with their top notch signal detectors." Pepper clicked the remote again. The audio was crackling, but it was understandable.

"Patrol 98, you are to report back to mother base. Andross requires all ships to aid him with the excavation site." Many in the room began to chatter, and Fox's eyes narrowed in question and anger. How could this be true?

"It is unknown how Andross could have survived. I, myself, saw his main base of operations explode from above the planet. Whatever the reason is, it does not matter. As long as he is alive or out of our custody, he is a grave threat, and the galaxy is counting on you to protect it from him and his military. We are deploying ALL ships to the outer systems in Cornerian jurisdiction. We will always need to be ready for possible attacks, and we will slowly move our way out into the unmapped systems to smoke him out of hiding." Pepper said, and then eyed Fox in the middle of the seats before continuing.

"Many sacrifices were made to stop him in the last war. We absolutely cannot let them be diminished to being acts in vain. Deployment begins in an hour. Good luck." Pepper saluted, and all stood and saluted as well. "Dismissed." Pepper ended and walked off the stage.

Bill looked at Fox. "We'll get him, Fox. He doesn't take the hint to stay dead, we'll throw him into the sun to be sure about it."

Fox didn't turn his head when he spoke. "The man responsible for the deaths of BOTH my parents and many more…he is still alive. How? How is he still alive? There is no way…"

"That's where you come in." A voice cut him off, both turning back to look at who it was.

"It's an honor to meet you, Mr. McCloud. I am Zeed Orsly, second in command and Peppers right hand man. I was there during the Great Battle of Venom, when I was about your age. He apologizes that he could not speak to you in person, and wished for you to have this." Zeed held up a chip to Fox. "It's a specially designed chip that will allow you and Pepper to keep in contact without the risk of someone listening in on the transmission. He will let you in on the details. Its been a pleasure, McCloud. I best be on my way. McCloud, , fare well." And with the end of that, Zeed casually walked away.

"Sounds like they've got something special for you. He barely even noticed me." Bill huffed.

They made their way to the docking bay, making the last of their time talking about each other's careers. As they reached their destination, they stopped. "Its been great seeing you again, buddy. " Fox said, holding his hand out.

"Maybe when Im in the middle of a battle, I'll send you an invite. I'll be sure to leave a few stragglers for you." Bill shook Fox's hand and they both separated toward their fighters.

"Oh, and tell Slippy I said hi." Bill shouted before closing his cockpit. Fox nodded and gave him thumbs up before closing his cockpit and pulling out of the Station's dock. He was eager to fill in his crew of what was on the horizon. Whatever Pepper's proposition was, it would amount to lots of credits…but Fox didn't want in for the money, but for justice…maybe even revenge.


	3. Chapter 3

I apologize for any grammar errors that confuse you. If you have any questions, by all means, ask them. Even if they have claws, paws or feathers, I'll still describe them such as hands and feet. Im bringing in something that is not in the series to spice things up, so try to role with it. Those of you who take the time to read my ideas have my dearest thanks and gratitude. Enjoy the next chapter of Starfox: The Second War.

No Stone Unturned

16:00, Corneria, Orbit

"How could he have escaped? I saw the base destroyed…NOTHING survived." Peppy was just as worked up as Fox was, if not more so. Everyone sat in the lounge room behind the bridge, all very dumbfounded about what they had just learned. ROB revised his calculations and the results came up "Inconclusive."

Slippy then popped up his head, as he usually did when he had a light bulb. "What if he wasn't there when the atomic reaction took place?"

"Thats impossible. His flag ship returned to Venom and was blasted to oblivion. No enemy escaped the blast on the surface with the exception of me and Pigma." Peppy pointed out.

"Maybe he didn't use a ship."

Falco crossed his arms, as if challenging Slippy's knowledge. "Are you telling me that he slipspace jumped without a ship? That's ridiculous. Even IF that was possible, that kind of tech doesn't exist, right ROB?"

ROB beeped for 2 seconds. "Database has no files on such technology. Attempts to send an exposed life form through slipspace have been considered, but never performed."

The chip in Fox's vest pocket began to beep. He gave it to ROB to insert into the ships holo display and General Pepper projected out in the middle of the room. The lights dimmed down to half power.

"Im glad you arrived, team Starfox. You will be very important to our movement outwards into the uncharted systems. Your mission will be to seek out information of any sort about Andross' forces. Any lead we get, you will be the only one to know. We know Andross will try to make a move on one of the colonies, but we don't know when and/or where. You will receive extra pay for any Cornerian battle you take part in. Are there any questions?"

"Do we have a time limit?"

"That's what you must try to figure out. We think we might have a lead, but the destination is in a system which is in the middle of Cornerian Space Control. We need our fleets to keep guard of our outer borders. It's up to you to figure out the information we need to hunt Andross down."

"I'll do my best. Andross won't have his way with me. Where do the leads point us?"

"There have been reports of faulty signal readings near Titania, and we both know what that means."

"Stealth ships." Fox agreed

"Exactly, but since we can't get an identification or classification, we cannot determine if this is an actual threat. You have your mission, Starfox. Pepper, over and out." The hologram blipped to nothing and the lights brightened.

"Titania, huh? I've looted there once, back when I was a freelancer. Nothing but desert, as far as the eye can see." Falco leaned back in his seat and crossed his hands behind his head. "Those were the good old days, back when all the gangs tried to make settlements there…too bad it wasn't worth it…for them, anyway."

"Why?" asked Slippy

"Because there was no travel route near the system. Nobody wants to go to an entire planet that has nothing but desert…"  
"…Unless they don't want to be found." Fox cut in. Falco nodded in agreement.

"Is there anything in the database worth mentioning, ROB?"

ROB beeped for up to 6 seconds this time, searching all events related to Titania.

"12 years ago, an unidentified ship crash landed. No sign of crew or cargo were found. Data was reported long after the crash. "

Fox stood up from his seat and crossed his arms. "Alright, were going to have to keep our heads low, and see what we can find out prior to engagement with the ships. We won't fire upon them unless we are fired upon. Whatever the answer is, we will probably find out more if we scan the surface for a bit and see what we can find."

"Then its settled. Lets get started." Peppy got up quickly for an old hare, and walked out to the bridge. Falco followed. "What are we waiting for, lets go."

"Right behind ya!" Slippy cheered with glee. Fox was glad everyone was so eager to start the mission.

20:00, Titania, Orbit

The Great Fox began her descent to the surface at a slow speed, giving ROB some time to scan the planet for any strange metals or activity. It usually took him about 3 minutes.

"I have detected abnormal amounts of metal here…" ROB highlighted the area. "…scans indicate they are ships or left over wreckage next to Mountain side."

"Then we'll check there first. Falco, you're going with me. Peppy, I want you on standby as air support, just in case we _do_ run into trouble on the surface. Slippy, you stay with the ship in case we get swarmed with reinforcements. Lets rock n' roll." Fox ended with that, and all acknowledged. He, Falco and Peppy walked off of the bridge, while Slippy remained at the controls next to ROB. "Phew! Glad I get to stay in the air conditioning. Can't stand the desert."

Within minutes, two Arwings flew out of the Great Fox's hanger toward the sandy surface of Titania. As soon as they were at 700 ft in altitude, they leveled out to 500. The dunes rose and descended quickly, so Fox and Falco did the same.

They saw the mountain in the far distance. "All right, let's set down here, Falco."

"Got it." Both pilots adjusted their G-diffusers and landed on separate flat rocks. They hopped out and met at the far side of the rock formation.

Fox took out his binoculars and zoomed in at the bottom of the mountain…it looked like the remains of a couple of ships that were scrapped, but no sign of residence.

"It looks deserted, but we should go and make sure." He clipped his binoculars to his belt and started walking in the direction. He pulled out his blaster and clicked the safety. "You know the drill, Falco."

"Yeah, I hear ya. Switch to concussion mode for live targets, thermal rounds for drones and machinery only. Sometimes, I wish I could be a bad guy." Fox gave Falco a wary glance.

"…Im just messing with ya, buddy." Falco laughed. Fox nodded side to side and walked onward, blaster in hand. The scrap yard was about a mile away, and if anybody were there, they would more than likely know.

(Meanwhile aboard the Great Fox)

"Unidentified signal detected." ROB alerted Slippy, who gulped in surprise. Could something be afoot, or could something have gone wrong with the mission, he did not know, and he could not risk sending a transmission to Fox, or they would blow their cover.

"Well, let's identify it then." Slippy locked in on the signal. He could see the blur of the ship but could not see the shape. It was using cloak shielding. There was no way to tell, since heat vision wouldn't work. There was no way to get a layout unless…

Slippy scrambled his fingers across the pad and brought the lock-on camera's special options online. Instead of heat vision, he could use the element scanner to pick up the outline of the ship. When the ship turned, the above or bottom was clearly recognizable, he snapped the shot as it descended to the surface. As he looked at the picture, his eyes widened. He didn't have to ask ROB to know that it wasn't a Venom fighter. If whoever was onboard didn't like them, they were in for a rough mission.

"Peppy, we got a fighter going down to Fox's position…it looks Ligerian (Li-gear-ian). What do we do?" Slippy didn't have to worry about using communication aboard the ship since the lines were directly throughout the ship.

"We wait for Fox's word. I don't get why a Ligerian would be here." Peppy tried to find a reason in his head.

(Back on the surface of Titania)

The scrap yard lay 20 yards ahead, and Fox's 6th sense started tingling again. He held his blaster firmly and Falco did as well. The ships closest to them were completely scrapped, save the ship's skeletons, being supports and worthless metal. Bringing the blaster's sights level to Fox's eyes, he cautiously made his way into the metal jungle. It got denser as they went in. Fox kept his main vision on what lay ahead, and his peripheral vision on Falco.

"Looks like someone's been busy." Falco murmured. The metal began to clear up, and the direction they came from was no longer visable. "Clearing up ahead. I don't like this."

"Well, if it _is _a trap, at least I'll get to catch up on my blaster skills."

They both moved out of the scrap forest and saw solid ships…they had been there for a while, but not stripped, as if they were shelters.

"Drop your blasters…now!" about a dozen armed red suits popped over the sturdy ships and rocks, all wielding Blaster Rifles.

Fox and Falco went back to back and ready to shoot. "I don't think you know who we are, because if you did, you would be smart enough _not _to threaten us." Falco said boldly.

"Falco, try not to make them angry."

A figure hopped over a rock into the clearing, wearing a modified version of the other helmets. "We saw your fighters come in…I might sell the fighters I have stowed away and keep yours for myself." The figure took off his helmet, turning out to be a jackal. "If you don't drop those blasters, you will be in more of a mess than if you comply…and believe me, I hate messes, because then we have to clean them up so others won't get any ideas when they stumble upon this unfortunate place like you have."

Fox gave Falco a stare, and Falco felt his reputation crash far too low. Fox and Falco threw their weapons down, and the Jackal gang moved in, rifles still drawn. The squad leader walked closer, very prideful and confident as if he were proud of himself. As he neared the two, he saw the emblem on their flight vest…a fox with wings.

"Well, this is just too good to be true. The infamous Starfox team…" His eyes widened, as if realizing something.

"…where is the rest of your crew?"

"Ready to blast this whole area if anything happens to us. To be honest, you'd be better off letting us go." Fox tried to reason with the jackal.

"And if that were true, I'd be worried." The leader scoffed and looked up as if he could see the Great Fox in orbit. "But they won't be here to save you if they don't know. No signal can be detected beyond the scrap yard, which is why you could not pick up our base under the mountain…you are mine now." He grinned a devilish smile as he readied to hit Fox.

Just as he swung, an explosion came from the mountain, throwing him off balance, mentally and physically. Fox grabbed his arm and forced him into a head lock, using him as a meat shield. Falco picked up both blasters and handed one to Fox. "Back off now!" Fox demanded, but the gangsters were already running away towards the mountain.

(Inside the under mountain base, Hanger)

The gold and black fighter, (which looked like a "W" with two engines on the back, two guns in the sides and the cockpit in the middle), flew through the giant hole in the hangers stone walls. It turned 360 degrees and landed. All the jackals were disoriented from the blast, trying to regain their senses.

The fighter's cockpit opened and a figure in a golden suit leaped out. He wore a full face helmet shaped like the outline of a cat with red visors. He landed next to a jackal who managed to stand. The confused jackal shook as he saw the Ligerian, and ever so slowly reached for his blaster. The Ligerian made no movement until the jackal's finger edged his blaster. The golden figure's gauntlets clicked, and energy blades clicked from them. The jackal screamed and ran off, thinking the Ligerian was after him. The Ligerian just stood there for a moment, then turned to the control room. He ignored all the jackals who were in the hanger. It was the ones would led this operation that he was after, not the pawns.

(Just outside the base)

Fox clicked his collar. "Peppy, come in. You showed up just in time."

"About time you say something. Im still aboard the ship, waiting for your word" Fox and Falco looked at each other confused. "Then who…" Falco asked incompletely.

"We saw a Ligerian fighter heading to the surface about thirty minutes after you left."

"Well…that explains a lot. You might want to stay clear of this air space." Ships began flying out of the mountain. "We'd better hurry up before there are none left."

"Fox, usually I look forward to a good throw-down, but on this occasion, I'd like to have my blaster set to thermal."

"We need to get in there and see whether they are affiliated with Andross' work or not. As long as we stay out of the_ Ligerian's_ way, we won't have any problems…hopefully" Fox started running for the base of the mountain, Falco on his six.

It was a long hallway, which led to the belly of the base, the alert lights flashing red, and a lot of junk was lying around. They made their way to the barracks, which were empty. Another explosion went off that shook the whole mountain. "Whoever this guy is, he knows how to throw a party."

"We've got to be near the control room…Falco, you take the lower floor, and we'll meet on the second floor. just follow the bread crumbs." Which was all junk, of course. It wasn't long before he made it to the control room, which was full of gang members on the floor. Fox could only assume the worst while checking one of them near the door…he was alive.

"He's knocked out cold." And he noticed all were knocked out. That was not Ligerian style, based on what he heard. A shriek came from the upper floor. Fox pointed his blaster as he went up the steps.

"Tell me where they took her." A voice growled, sounding as if distorted by a voice changer.

"The cargo is headed to the Sargasso Asteroid Station, that's all I know…hurk!" The Ligerian soldier put more pressure on the jackals neck as he pinned him to a wall. "I told you everything I know! I don't know anything else! This is the part where you let me go!"

Fox needed him alive, and couldn't let someone die without him trying to prevent it. "Ever thought of saying 'please'?"

The Ligerian turned his golden helmet towards Fox ever so slowly. "You would be wise not to point your weapon at me, young fox."

"I've never fought a Ligerian, and I never plan to. All I want is him…Im after information." The Ligerian growled deeply, then looked into the eyes of the jackal whom he had pinned.

"Very well, I have not the time for this." He let the jackal fall to the ground and turned toward the control room window above the hanger. "Pray I do not ever see you again." jumped out the control room window onto the main hangar bay, where his gold and black fighter was waiting for him.

The jackal lay there coughing and Fox knelt next to him with his blaster holstered. "Thank you…thank you so much! I swear, you can take anything you want, free of charge!"

Fox grabbed him by the front of his collar. "Tell me why you are here! All of the equipment here is illegal! Who are you affiliated with?" Fox demanded.

"We are just a gang trying to make a living! Nobody comes around this system anymore, with the exception of those looking for metal or trouble! We're more spread out, but here is our main base of operations! All the things we've stolen usually end up here!"

"What was _he_ after that was so important?" Fox shook the jackal.

"A girl, okay! We sold her to a top secret group of crooks, very hush hush! Even I don't know that much about them! All I know is that they were willing to pay for females that could fight, and she was a lot of trouble to rob! Took 7 of my men to capture…" the bandit babbled on and on until Fox had enough.

"Alright, you can save the rest for court; I don't have time for this." Fox stood and took his blaster out. The bandit's eyes widened. "No…please no!"

"Relax, with a concussion round, you'll be sleeping like a baby. By the time you wake up, you'll be in custody with only a rough headache." Fox aimed at the bandit's chest.

"No, no, no wait…" Fox fired. The jackal twitched for a second, then slumped to his side, breathing heavily. He clicked the COMs on his collar.

"Team Starfox, I managed to get information from one of the goons. Report your status."

"Just contacted C.S.P.F (Cornerian Space Police Force). They'll be here in a few hours. The bandits should remain asleep from the concussion rounds until then." Peppy reported.

"Just nailed a few left overs with concussion rounds. Glad I got in some target practice." Falco boasted

"Did you find out anything?" asked Slippy.

"They don't have anything to do with Andross, but he mentioned some secret criminal organization hiding at the Sargasso Asteroid Station. The Ligerian is going there as well."

"Then we better get going. The C.S.P.F should be able wrap up things here. Hurry up and get to your fighters."

"Agreed. Falco, rendezvous at the entrance. Slippy, Rob, have the Great Fox ready to jump by the time we are aboard."

"Affirmative." ROB responded. Slippy worked on the system checks, while ROB searched the database for all possible coordinates. Places like these were low key, and only the lowest scum lived in it. If anyone had a clue of information about any illegal operations, they would be here. Fox was sure of it.


	4. Chapter 4

Holy smokes! I took my time with this chapter. I've been thinking things out, such as how this should end and how it will tie in with the future episodes to come. I hope this isn't too long for you. Its action packed, so I have a feeling you'll like it. I really want to make a cartoon show. If there is anyone out there that is good with animation, please leave me some information in your review. Thank you very much, and enjoy this next episode of Starfox: Second War.

Enemy of My Enemy, or _My_ Enemy?

The Great Fox went out of slipspace to normal speed, just before the field of asteroids. The Sargasso hideout was deep within the cluster of space rock, which meant they would have to take it slow. The ship stopped and remained still as the crew discussed the plan in the lounge/briefing room.

"Im telling ya, they're not going to welcome us with a warm greeting, but with turrets." Falco assured Fox.

"We have to find a way. Almost all the illegal weapon systems on Titania were made by Venom military, and those jackals had a lot of it. Whoever is getting this equipment must have information that can help us."

"Based on the layouts that ROB managed to recover, the station's docking hangar is very open and spacious. This would be a serious disadvantage to us if we were to get into a firefight. Fox, I suggest we rely strictly on space superiority to scare the information out of them." Peppy moved his hand left, and the holo-projection zoomed out to where the asteroid cluster that surrounded the station was visible.

"We let them detect our signal, and then they will send out a recon squad. We take them out, and the Station's leaders will send more and more. If we hold out in the asteroid cluster, we can confine them to limited maneuverability, considering most of their ships and fighters are nowhere nearly as good as ours." Peppy moved his hand right and the projector zoomed back in on the station.

"Once we have weakened the defense force, two of us will slip around the enemy's forces through the asteroid cluster, flank the station and attack its defenses. All the enemy ships and fighters engaged with team one will return to defend the station, and then we will catch them in a crossfire." The plan played out on the projection.

Fox stood up and placed his hands on his sides as he looked at the strategy. "If they don't give us the information when we have them out gunned, we'll have no choice but to infiltrate the station…_make_ them give us all the information in the database, rendering that last part of your plan pointless. ROB, is there any other way to get into the station besides the dock."

ROB beeped for 3 second then highlighted a spot at the bottom of the station. "All station structures are made with an emergency escape hatches in the lower levels bunker room. A lift is accessible on that level. Two defense turrets cover the lower sector of the station, which should be disabled prior to boarding attempt. "

"Then we'll make it work. Slippy, Im going to need you with me on this one. Once the Spi-droids disable the lower turrets, we'll move in and get to a terminal so you can hack into the station's controls. When you have the station running blind, I'll make my way to the top floor. Falco and Peppy, you both will continue the fight outside. Nail the fighters and ships first, then take out the remaining turrets. "

"What about the Ligerian?" Slippy gulped. "What if he shows up before we're done?"

Fox remembered what the Ligerian said, but didn't know who the statement was directed to.

"He said 'Pray I don't ever see you again'. I don't know if he meant that towards me or the jackal."

Peppy said "We can't assume anything. If he is looking for someone on the station like you said, we won't have to worry about him blowing up the station at least. Until we know for sure, we should consider him an enemy. He could know some important information himself."

The alert alarms beeped and the status lights went yellow. "Fighter detected." ROB reported. The crew rushed to the bridge and the lock-on camera showed the blur of a cloaked ship as it listed ominously into the asteroid field.

"That's gotta be him." gasped Slippy.

"He _had_ to have seen us?"

Fox thought out everything in his head. The Ligerian wanted to find a woman who had been captured and sent to the Sargasso Station, and he left all the jackals alive. He didn't seem as blood thirsty as the old legends stated.

"We'll ignore him for now. I have a feeling I'll run into him on the station. For now, let's focus on the objective. Slippy and I will put on the space vacuum suits while you guys get everything prepared."

"Alright, we'll get the Arwings equipped and ready." Peppy nodded. They all walked out, with the exception of ROB, who always stayed at the bridge during a mission.

Fox and Slippy walked out of their quarters, both suited up, and walked toward the Great Fox's hangar.

"You okay Slippy? You're looking a little…more green than usual."

"Im just nervous, Fox. You know how I am when I take part in these kinds of missions. I panic a lot."

"Don't worry, buddy. You'll do fine." Fox patted Slippy on the shoulder.

"I hope so." Slippy and Fox walked into the hanger and the four Arwings were set on the launch rails, all ready to go. Falco and Peppy were already inside their Arwings checking their systems. Fox and Slippy climbed into their Arwings and began to do the same. After all systems were confirmed acutely, Fox gave the go.

"All ships, launch."

(Within sight of the Sargasso Station)

The Arwings slowed down as the station came within view. Not shortly after, a message barked from the COMs.

"Your crafts have no records of ever being allowed in this area. State title and intention, or we will beat it outta you!"

Fox responded. "We are Star Fox, and we are interested in buying new weapon upgrades. We'll make it worth your while." Fox hoped the bluff would work.

There was an uneasy silence before a different and gruffer voice responded. "You punks are bad for business. Leave now if you don't want my recon group to take you and your fighters."

"We are looking for information. If you tell us what we want, we can avoid confrontation."

"Not if I have anything to say about it." And the transmission ended there.

"Fox, fighters coming from the station." Peppy alerted.

"Alright, guys. Let's do this!" The Arwings flew back into the asteroid cluster, with 6 Killer Ray fighters not far behind them.

Fox eased down as 2 of them closed in on his six, and just as they fired, he swept right, circling a medium sized asteroid until he was on their tail. He opened fire blasted at the closest one, and the other broke off to try and flank Fox. Falco fired on the second target while evading a Killer Ray on his tail. Fox shot down the first and went for the second.

"Fox, I got the other one in my sights! Take out the guy on my six o clock!" It was a game of dog, cat and mouse.

"Roger that!" Fox got into position and began to fire on Falco's pursuer. They both shot their target down simultaneously and let the fighters go hurtling away.

"How about you guys?"

"We took care of them." Slippy reported satisfyingly.

"Let's see if we get a round two?"

Fox sent a transmission to the station. "We are not going anywhere without the information we need. We can either do this the easy way, or the hard way."

"Ten more fighters and a battleship closing in." ROB alerted.

"Oh, man. Things are going to get hairy." gulped Slippy.

"I say bring it on." Falco laughed with pride.

"Everybody stay alert. "

"Listen, we need to attack and maneuver at the same time. Everyone use the crisscross technique. ROB, have the cannons charged to blast that ship out of commission." Fox ordered.

The fighters swished and spun after the Arwings, firing wildly. Falco passed in front of Fox's trajectory and Fox opened fire on the fighters chasing Falco. Falco did a loop and fired on the fighters on Fox's tail.

Slippy and Peppy did the same tactic, dodging and looping the enemy into each other's sights.

"I can't shake this last one!" Slippy yelped

"Hold on, Slippy, bring them to me. I'll nail em. Fox, take care of the two behind me, will ya?" Falco corkscrewed his way around the asteroids towards Slippy's 12 o clock. Fox switched to his lock-on smart rounds, which acted like old heat seeking missiles. Both guns of the Arwing glowed as they charged. He locked on to the two Killer Rays and fired, each charged round bringing their shields down. Switching back to normal fire, he blasted them to scrap.

Falco flew over Slippy and shot the remaining target head on.

"All clear."

"Thanks, Falco." Slippy said gratefully.

"Fox, the ship is moving in!"Peppy yelled.

"ROB, fire now!"

The Great Fox fired three fully charged shots, completely eradicating the hostile ship.

"Alright, Slippy. Let's go to step two. ROB, initiate the jammer so they don't detect us sneaking up on them. See you there, guys."

"Got it, Im right behind ya. Good luck guys." Fox and Slippy made their way to the right sector of the asteroid cluster.

"You think we can keep this up, Peppy?" Falco asked.

"As long as Fox and Slippy make it quick, this should work."

"15 fighters and 3 ships now approaching." Alerted ROB

Falco laughed hysterically. "Let's hope he's faster than I think!"

(Two minutes later, in the Sargasso Station control room.)

"That's all we have left? How can this be happening?" Delario raged. Delario was an ill tempered bearded dragon who was the main runner of the station, wearing a rough bandit outfit. The Vice-runner of the station, Lorango, crushed a soda can. He was an orangutan who loved funky trends, wearing rings and chains.

"I done told you that dealin' with the Venom Military was a bad move, but you didn't listen, did you? The Star Fox team wants information on it, and if you would have listened to me and told them, we wouldn't be going through this mess!"

"Lorango, you know that would be bad for business. We'd lose all reputation and credibility from our customers."

"Which is worse than losing our ships and fighters? I don't think so!"

"Well, we are already stuck in this. Now the ship is jamming our radar. They are probably about to fall back any moment…" The power flickered for a couple of seconds.

"What was that?" Delario demanded. Lorango turned to his computer and began looking through the system checks.

"Someone is tampering with the dock systems. I can't pin point where the tampering is, but…"

"Find out now! Bring all security drones online!"

(Meanwhile, in the lower bunker level)

"Alright, the dock defenses are offline. Their drone systems are separate though, so be careful."

"Good job, Slippy. How long do we have?"

"I'd give it 5 minutes at most. You better get going."

"I won't take long_." Hopefully_, Fox thought in his head. He ran through the door, which automatically closed behind him. He went down the corridor with his blaster drawn. If Slippy's tampering kept up, Fox would use the main lift to reach the top level, where the control room was. If it failed, he would have to take the long and risky way up: through the hanger.

He made his way to the middle of the lower level. Fox could see the lift shaft, but no lift…not yet. He clicked his COMs.

"Slippy, I need you to bring down the…" A hum came from above, coming from the lift.

"Whats that Fox?"

"Never mind." Fox hoped inside one of the loading crates and pulled the cover over him. On his hands and knees, he peeked out the crevice of visibility and saw the lift with ten security drones. He lay down and whispered.

"Slippy, lock the door. They sent a lot of security drones. When they pass by, on my word, send the lift to the top level."

"Okay Fox, but hurry when you get up there."

(Meanwhile, in the asteroid cluster)

"Yikes!" Falco was evading 5 fighters, turning wildly in every way he could. He and Peppy took on the fighters as the Great Fox battled the three ships…now down to 2.

"Peppy, talk to me! Where are you at?"

"I've got 2 on my tail. I can't do anything but evade!"

"Fox had better hurry, or we're gonna be toast!" Falco grunted.

Peppy performed a barrel roll. Looping over and around asteroid wasn't cutting it. One of them actually managed to get a lock on him. Peppy grunted with frustration. "I can't shake them."

"Peppy, don't you quit on me now! I'll try to make it over to you!"

Peppy wouldn't make it. The warnings systems beeped in his Arwing. It was no use. All of a sudden the lock-on was lost. Peppy looked back and saw the 2 fighters explode and a gold and black fighter fly through the debris. It pulled off to the station, where Falco was evading the fighters. Peppy adjusted his trajectory in the same direction. The Ligerian fighter fired at the enemies on Falco's 6:00, taking 4 of them out with a clearly illegal modified missile system. The Ligerian fighter then pulled off and proceeded to the Stations bottom.

"Holy smokes! There's only 2 left! Peppy, help me get the rest of these goons."

(Meanwhile, on the station lift)

Fox stood at the corner of the lift as it zoomed to the top level. When it did, he ran down the hallway to the different managing rooms, all labeled with different services: general stolen goods, weapon systems, contracted prisoner trade. Fox got an idea just then. If he let the prisoners free, they might be able to help him.

He peeked around the corner and saw multiple cells which had laser walls keeping them blocked. Only two guards remained at their stations. Fox switched to concussion rounds and tagged them in the chest. He ran to the controls and searched the data file. By the looks of it, there was only one in the first cell. He ran over to inspect the cell. On the floor, a woman lay motionless.

"Hey, are you alright?" she made no response. He could see her breathing, but didn't think much on it. He ran back to the controls and diminished the shields. As soon as he did, a blur flew out of the cell. "Wait! I need you to tell me…" Fox shouted, but she had already made it to the hall…out of sight.

"Welp, so much for help." Sighed Fox, and continued down the hallway towards the station's main control room.

(Back in the bunker level)

Slippy was searching the data banks for any clues. There were records of deals which were empty, as if someone had deleted them. He had begun to ask why when the screen filled up with red letters "We have you now"

The door blasted open and Slippy jumped to cover. The security bots beeped as they scanned the room. They moved in, ready to shoot, and there was no way Slippy could stop them.

As they neared his cover, two energy blades ignited in the shadows. They lunged through the darkness and smoke, slicing one droid after another. Within five seconds all the gunfire stopped. Slippy peeked from cover with surprise. From the haze of the smoke, and apparition formed into a Ligerian warrior who was walking towards Slippy, who gulped motionlessly with fear.

(Back on the top level)

Fox rolled into the control room, blaster set to thermal. He nailed two droids and ducked behind a crate as five more opened fire. When the droids ceased fire, Delario laughed hysterically.

"You've done it now! You made everybody's day a whole lot worse! You leave me with a horrible financial mess, and your entire team is dead!" Fox knew he was lying.

"You have been dealing illegal equipment here…weaponry from the Venom military. How are you getting these weapon systems? Maybe you wouldn't be in this mess if you had just complied!" Foxshouted from cover, agitated that it had come to this.

"Well, at least you'll be swept out of the way, giving me better reputation." Delario snapped his fingers and 20 more droids popped out of the droid dispensers in the walls. Fox grimaced with frustration. This had all gone out of the frying pan into the fire. The droids formed in front of Delario as he laughed. "You will die now. The sooner I kill you, the sooner I can get back to business. Sick him!" He gave the signal and the droids began marching toward Fox's position.

Fox looked around, still behind the metal crate in a panicked manner. No way out…not without getting shot. He noticed a crate about 3 yards away labeled "Explosive" but it must have been really heavy. It wouldn't be close enough to damage the droids.

Suddenly, the gravity cut out with a low hum. The droids floated in the air, and Fox figured this was his only chance. Fox jumped horizontally off the heavy crate he was hiding behind and soared through the air to the explosive crate. The droids fired, but the force of their guns spun them out of accuracy, not meant to fight in zero gravity. Fox hugged the explosives crate, and with his feet, he pushed it at the droids. He quickly aimed his blaster and shot the crate as it slammed into the middle of the droid formation. Debris flew across the deck, one piece almost hitting Fox. As the gravity came back online and everything fell back to the ground. Fox landed on his feet and aimed at where Delario was…no longer there. "Blast it!" Fox growled before clicking his COMs.

"Way to go, Slippy. You saved my tail…Slippy?" There was no response. Fox felt a ping of worry, but there was no time. He had to find Delario before he escaped. Fox ran down the hall, which had a few droids to slow him down. He blasted them quickly and made his way to the lift. As the lift was in sight, Fox could see that it was…inoperable? Someone had cut a hole through it. Fox wondered how anyone could have gotten through when his brain popped. "The gravity shut down!" Someone must have jumped up the lift shaft while the gravity was down. A secret door to the right of the lift was cut open as well. Fox jogged in, cautiously watching his corners. It must have been an escape route.

He came into a hexagon room with 5 other blast doors shut and lights red and flashing to the point of disorientation. On and off, on and off, and between a flash the Ligerian appeared eerily. Fox drew his blaster, not firing. The Ligerian lifted his gauntlets, aimed at Fox. They stood motionless during the standoff. The only thing that interrupted them was when the lights stopped flashing.

The golden figured turned quickly. "A trap! I'll take 3, you take 2!" The doors slammed open, a droid standing in each one.

Fox twisted and shot 2 droids simultaneously at lightning speed. Fox turned back and saw the Ligerian had done the same. Without looking back, the Ligerian ran into the blast door to his left. Fox ran after him, but had already lost sight of the warrior. He was fast…really fast. Fox followed the dark escape route until he ran into a well lit room. He could hear Delario shouting in frustration. "Open that door NOW! I'll have you fired for this, Lorango!" One the droids caught a look at Fox and began to fire. Fox managed to get a quick glance at Delario with a hostage.

"You just don't know when to quit, you pesky fox! Well now you will HAVE to comply!" Fox peeked from cover and saw Delario. He had a hostage subdued by a stasis remote, and twenty more droids surrounding them. It was the same woman from the cell, a slim and fit Cheetah. Her purple eyes were moving, but she was unable to move, for the stasis remote prevented any other action besides breathing and seeing.

"If you do not surrender now, I'll crush her like a toothpick. Now be a hero and give up!" Fox grimaced as he walked out of cover and threw his blaster down. Delario grinned. "Now come closer so I can shoot you up close and personal."

Fox walked through the crowd of droids. He hoped with all his being that the Ligerian would do something before he or the girl would get hurt. Fox thought everything out on the way to his uncertain doom. The Ligerian said he was looking for a woman who had been sold here…could he have planned all this? Fox was sure of it, and was ready to use his hidden fold-out electric staff.

A shot came from the shadows above, incinerating the stasis remote from Delario's hands. The cheetah instinctively hit the back of her head into Delario's face, and spun to hit him with her elbow. Fox rolled, swinging out his fold-out staff, and slammed 2 droids in the head, frying their circuits. The Ligerian leaped from above and sliced through 5 with one gauntlet, and shooting 4 more with the other. While Fox took on 3 more, he marveled at the Ligerian's gauntlets in his head. "The are blades AND blasters?" The cheetah had knocked out Delario and used his gun to shoot the droids, nailing 3 of them dead- accurate in the head. Fox, the cheetah, and the Ligerian destroyed the last 3 droids individually.

It was a long pause before anyone said something. The cheetah eased up and she looked at the Ligerian with a smile. "Rigor…you came for me."

The Ligerian took off his helmet, turning out to be a leopard. He spoke with a deep and powerful voice that sounded like that of a true and disciplined warrior. "Fate would allow me to do nothing else, Princess Kina." Rigor bowed, then turned to Fox. "I can always tell a good warrior when I see one. I knew you would come here, and did not mean to deceive you so profusely. Without your help, the risks would have been too great."

Fox holstered his blaster. "What about my friend Slippy? What did you…"

"I saved him from a squad of death machines. I requested that he shut down the gravity until I reach the top of the lift shaft, since it was inoperable. Your friend is safe."

Just then, a door opened behind Kina, and all of them drew their weapons. It was Lorango holding a detonator. "You see this? I press this button, and this whole station and everyone on it will be incinerated." The 3 of them backed up slowly.

"Now listen to me. None of us want to die, and I never agreed with Delario's methods. I told him that dealing with the Venom Military was a bad call, but that dim-wit never listens! I told him to give you the information, but he didn't listen! I told him that kidnapping someone on behalf of the Venom military was a bad idea, but once again, he didn't listen!"

"So what did they want with _her_? Why are they coming _here_?"

"They are looking for someone important to them, that's all I know. The knucklehead got our contracts mixed up with another one. They were the wrong descriptions of the individual they wanted."

"Do you have any data on this _individual_ then?" Fox asked.

Lorango nodded side to side "Delario deleted it all. Look, this day has been frustrating for all of us, but we can all walk away from this._ I_ can report to my superiors that Delario was involving the company in war affairs, and _you_ walk away with information. Since Im second in command, I'll cancel our deals with the Venom military." Lorango turned right and pressed buttons on a terminal. "The security lock down is off. Make contact with your friends and leave the station." Nobody moved for a few seconds. Lorango shook the detonator and smiled. "Sometime today, please."

"If you find out anything more…" Fox looked around to see the damage they had done"…I could help you in the future."

"Maybe, but as of right now, I never want to see you again. Get off of my station." The agitated orangutan turned and walked back into his fortified office.

The cheetah turned to Fox and smiled. "You did a great deed in saving me, even if you did so without knowing. Rigor and I ask that if there is anything we can do to repay you, we will aid you to the best of our ability."

"I need to find out what the Venom military is up to. The longer it takes for me to get a lead on where Andross is and what he is up to, the longer he has time to build his forces and tactics. Now I have nothing." Fox waved his hands in disappointment.

"Then I shall do what I can to aid you when you request it, warrior." Rigor nodded.

"Fox? Fox! Answer me!" croaked Slippy on Fox's COMs.

"Slippy, Im fine. Falco, Peppy, report in."

"We took a few hits, but we got them. Now please tell me this was all worth it!" Falco shouted.

Fox looked back at Kina and Rigor, who both nodded in respect. "More or less."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I'll explain when we are all aboard the Great Fox. ROB, take her into the docks. The person in charge is letting us off."

"Fox, are you sure this isn't a trap?" Peppy asked wearily. Fox turned and noticed that droids were in the doorway on standby mode.

"I think me and him have come to an agreement. Everyone should be back on board within 5 minutes. Fox out."

Rigor and Kina walked up to him and smiled. "You fight with honor, courage and spirit." Rigor said first.

"…and for that, you are worthy to be deemed a friend to the Ligerian order." Kina said. "If you ever run into one of our brethren, show them this medallion and they will see you as friend." Kina took off her medallion and held it out to Fox. Instead of taking it from her, he knelt for her to put it on him. She smiled and did so.

Fox stood and gratefully said "Thank you."

(Later, aboard the Great Fox)

The holo-projection General Pepper rubbed his forehead. "So they are still around."

"Affirmative, sir. All the important data had been deleted before we had a chance to get it. All we know is that the Venom military is looking for someone…some woman, and that they are still in Cornerian space control."

"There can't be that many, otherwise we would have noticed."

"Undercover ops maybe?" Peppy gave his input.

"That seems to be the most reasonable answer. Why they are going after this individual, I have no idea. We are monitoring the boarders constantly. There is no way any ship can get through or leave without us knowing. If you find any Venom ships, you take them down, understood?"

"Yes, General. What do we do now?"

"Right now, we wait. I suggest you travel the systems in search of the next lead. I'm transferring more credits to your account. Good job, Starfox, and good luck. General Pepper, over and out."

The lights brightened as the holo-projection blipped out of existence. Everyone turned to Fox.

"So…" Falco said "…where do we start. We got information, but no leads."

Fox simply smiled and walked onto the bridge, and everyone else followed. Fox looked out into space, and there the Ligerian fighter was still there waiting. He pressed the transmission button.

"Hey, there is actually a way you can help me _now_."

"How shall I aid you in your quest, warrior?" Rigor asked pleasingly.

"We need clues on the Venom military. Can you give us a lead of any kind?"

"Hmmmmm…" Rigor pondered in thought. "I will see what I can find. You will receive an anonymous message within a day. It will have all the answers I can find."

"Thanks. Good luck."

"May fortune guide you." And the Ligerian fighter made its way out of the asteroid cluster.

Fox turned to face the crew. "Alright, team. Lets take advantage of this time to make repairs. Slippy?"

"We're low on repair parts. Maybe we can make a pit stop by Fichina to restock."

"I heard a new slushy shop opened there." Falco mused.

"A slushy shop on a tundra ridden world. That never made sense with me." Peppy shrugged. Fox nodded side to side, smiling.

"Alright, team. Lets get moving."

The Great Fox listed out of the asteroid cluster and made her jump into slipspace.


End file.
